A couple weeks ago I visited London and Amsterdam, with a full concentration on museum visits.The current exchange rate for the US dollar is awful and since most of the museums are free, I figured it was a great way to spend my time on a low budget. In five days I managed to see:

Tate Modern: Highlighted by a Juan Munoz retrospective, and the museum's primary exhibit, Duchamp, Man Ray, & Picabia, which was particularly interesting having just seen the Lee Miller exhibit at PMA.Duchamp, Man Ray & Picabia

Tate British: With a guided tour of Modern Painters: The Camden Town GroupCamden Town Group

Van Gogh Museum: An incredible collection of Van Gogh's work, and a current exhibit of the work of John Everett Millais, as well asa photography exhibit of work influenced by Millais' Me, Ophelia.Me, Ophelia

The Photographer's Gallery: Currently showing the four finalists for the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize 2008, Esko Mannikko (the winner),Jacob Holdt, John Davies, and Fazal Sheikh. I was particularly interested in the work of Jacob Holdt, which was presented as a slide show. The work was from his 1970's road trips across the United States documenting social injustice. I had never seen this work before, and I was fascinated by the similarity of Holdt'smid 70's work to the current documentary work of Philadelphia's Zoe Strauss.Deutsche Borse 2008

Victoria & Albert Museum: This museum was easily the highlight of my trip. My London guide book called it the best decorative arts museum in the world,and it didn't disappoint. The current primary exhibit is China Design Now, the first major attempt to explore the recent explosion of contemporary design in China.The focus was on architecture, fashion, and graphic design from three rapidly expanding cities; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.China Design Now

PHOTO/arts Magazine is a compendium of photography and contemporary art topics. We regularly feature the work of emerging international artists. Created in 2006, Christopher H. Paquette is the editor and founder. Feedback, comments, and submissions for publication are always welcome.